The Eye Of Minds, by James Dashner

Book Review by Jeremy D. Carr

Have you read this book?

From the best selling author of The Maze Runner, now a major motion picture, comes a new science fiction series beginning with The Eye Of Minds.

It is the world of VirtNet, a virtual reality so real as to be indistinguishable from the ral world, except better. For those players savvy enough to jack the code the limits are endless. From eating in the world's best restaurants, to traveling the stars in your very own spaceship, to old world gladiatorial style combat, all things are possible within the VirtNet. The best part is, although everything in the VirtNet seems real including the pain, the risk is minimized for if you die in the VirtNet you wake up in the real world and live to fight another day. It is the ultimate gamer experience.

But something has gone terribly wrong. A mysterious figure named Kaine has appeared on the VirtNet and he has found a way to not only trap players in VirtNet, not allowing them to log off and return to the real world, but to make their virtual deaths a reality. For some players there is no more waking up.

VirtNet security recruits Michael, our main character, and his cohorts Susan and Bryson, all master players and coders in the VirtNet, to hunt down Kaine and track him to his source buried somewhere deep in the VirtNet code. Overnight Michael, Susan and Bryson go from typical teenage gamers to top secret covert spies hunting the world's newest most dangerous terrorist.

Through a series of informants they learn of "The Path" that will lead them to Kaine's otherwise impenetrable hideaway "The Hallowed Ravine". There is only one way in with no telling what trials those walking "The Path" may face, and there may be no way out. But our players know they have no choice, they seek "The Path". Through a strange maze of brutality, darkness, undead, haunted forests, a demonic menagerie, the depths of an active volcano, Michael, Susan and Bryson traverse a mind-bending mix of horrors and temptations. When the stakes are raised the virtual becomes all too real, and how will Michael fare when he must continue to walk "The Path" alone? No matter the outcome Michael knows he will never be the same, but when he finally realizes the truth behind it all it will change him more than he could ever believe possible.

The Eye Of Minds is a top quality young-adult science fiction novel. It is great action from the start, has an impactful finish, and the world of the VirtNet is a great piece of imagination. Being a young-adult novel the more sophisticated science fiction reader may find it a bit soft and predictable, but for the young or uninitiated science fiction reader this could be a great place to start an enjoyment of the genre. It is definitely recommended to the young and/or new sci-fi fans.

If you decide to pickup The Eye Of Minds be aware that the sequel The Rule of Thoughts is now in stores, and with the way the first book ends the second may prove to be even better. I know I look forward to reading it.